#the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

[not-so-superheroine]

"The Restoration" by Sister Amy Robbins

Sister Amy Robbins, born in 1884, was a Black Latter Day Saint. As a young woman, she joined the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and was passionate about the gospel and restoration. Due to institutional racism in the church and racism from white members, Sister Robbins faced a lifetime of challenges in the church, yet she remained firmly rooted in her faith while actively advocating for a church where ALL people are welcome. Her poem, "The Restoration" gives us a glimpse into her faith and what the Restoration means to her.

The Church was brought out of the wilderness, The gospel gifts have all been restored. Showing forth God’s love and great tenderness, To all those who put all their trust in the Lord.  If man will have faith and truly repent,  Be baptized and his sins washed away,  The gifts from above will surely be sent  As promised in this latter day. True to form the prophet in this latter day Gave his life as a martyr for Truth. He searched in the scriptures to find the true way  And God called him while yet in his youth. And so God has in these latter days, Made available to man a new birth, Faith, repentance, baptism, just as in old ways ~ When Jesus was here on the earth. Let us spread glad tidings of the restoration And work while it is yet called today Until we have reached out into every nation And spread the gospel of truth all the way.

[rabbitcruiser]

Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, was organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York on April 6, 1830.

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois on April 6, 1860.

The  Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated by Wilford Woodruff on April 6, 1893.  

Church of Latter-day Saints Day                

It was on April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York, that a small  group led by Joseph Smith organized the "Church of Christ," the first  church of what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day  Saints (LDS). The anniversary date of April 6 has become known as Church  of Latter-day Saints Day.

Joseph Smith claimed that an angel named Moroni visited him in a  vision in 1823 and told him about a Hebrew text that had been lost for  1,500 years. The text recounted the story of Israelites who had lived in  the Americas during the time before Christ and had prophets similar to  those in the Old Testament. Smith said he was told the text had been  engraved on gold plates in the fourth century by a Native American  historian, and that the plates were buried in a nearby hill. He said he  excavated them four years later after Moroni told him where they were.  Smith translated the text into English and it was published as The Book of Mormon  in 1830, the same year he organized the church. On account of this  book, members of the church are often called Mormons, although the  church discourages the use of the term.

The church taught there would be a Second Coming of Christ which  would be followed by a "1,000-year reign of peace." Because of this,  Smith wanted to establish a "Zion," or kingdom of God, in the western  United States. Mormon communities were set up in Ohio, Illinois, and  Missouri, with the latter being chosen as the location for Zion. In  1839, Smith founded the city of Nauvoo in Illinois. The group there  faced hostility from non-Mormons, and after Smith pushed back against  dissidents within the church, the hostility and resentment from  non-Mormons heightened even more, and Smith was arrested. Smith and his  brother were murdered in a jail cell by an anti-Mormon mob in nearby  Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844.

Smith's successor as church president, Brigham Young, set out from  Nauvoo and headed west with a group of 148 Mormons in 1846. They arrived  in Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah in July 1847. Young said, "this  is the place," and the group settled. Young sent missionaries across  North America and Europe, and new members were encouraged to move to  Utah.

The settlement applied for statehood in 1849 and was denied, but  Young was made governor of the new Territory of Utah. Further efforts to  gain statehood in the 1850s went nowhere once it became publicly known  that Mormons practiced polygamy and that they wished to form a  theocratic government. Then, the Mountain Meadows Massacre took place,  during which Mormons killed members of a wagon train. In response, the  military arrived and a non-Mormon governor was put in charge of the  territory.

Young died in 1877 and church leadership was taken over by John  Taylor, and then by Wilford Woodruff. In 1890, during Woodruff's  presidency, the church announced it was banning polygamy in the United  States, in order to follow the country's law. (Polygamy was still  allowed outside of the United States and it continued in locations like  Mexico.) Utah was admitted as a state in 1896.

Today there are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day  Saints all around the world. In the early twenty-first century, church  membership was at about 16 million. The church is still headquartered in  Salt Lake City, Utah, and more members reside in the United States than  in any other country. Over 150 groups have sprouted off of the LDS for  various doctrinal and political reasons. The biggest is the Community of  Christ, which was known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of  the Latter-day Saints until 2001. It is headquartered in Independence,  Missouri, the location that Smith had designated as Zion.

The Book of Mormon and the King James Version of the Bible  are the two most important texts in the Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter-day Saints. Other important texts are Pearl of Great Price and Doctrines and Covenants.  The church teaches of a "Godhead" of three beings: Father, Son, and  Holy Ghost. But unlike Christians, who see them as part of the Trinity,  they teach that they are separate entities.

Like Christianity, they teach that Jesus Christ came to Earth to die  for everyone's sins and that he rose from the dead, but they also teach  that people's own actions have an effect on their future. They teach  that faithful members will become gods themselves and that Christ will  return and rule on Earth for 1,000 years. After this, the Earth will  become a celestial sphere and the highest kingdom of heaven, where the  righteous will live. Others will live in lesser kingdoms known as  "terrestrial" and "telestial."

Source

[misanthropemom]

Because I found this plausible, but intensely upsetting, and I know I'm super gullible, google was checked. NO, no baby marriages. 18, (16 in some places with parental permission) country-wide.

I am getting very tired of having to fact-check everything. There's so much legitimately shitty stuff going on.

We made the Mormons give up bigamy, after all. That's why my grandpa was an elder of the REORGANIZED Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They get their own symbol on Google Maps, did you know?

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 4.6 (before 1940)

46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus. 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. 1320 – The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath. 1453 – Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople. The city falls on May 29, and is renamed Istanbul. 1580 – One of the largest earthquakes recorded in the history of England, Flanders, or Northern France, takes place. 1652 – At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town. 1712 – The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins near Broadway. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy fail in their attempt to capture a Royal Navy dispatch boat. 1782 – King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) of Siam (modern day Thailand) establishes the Chakri dynasty. 1793 – During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic. 1800 – The Treaty of Constantinople establishes the Septinsular Republic, the first autonomous Greek state since the Fall of the Byzantine Empire. (Under the Old Style calendar then still in use in the Ottoman Empire, the treaty was signed on 21 March.) 1808 – John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America's first millionaire. 1812 – British forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington assault the fortress of Badajoz. This would be the turning point in the Peninsular War against Napoleon-led France. 1814 – Nominal beginning of the Bourbon Restoration; anniversary date that Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba. 1830 – Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, is organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York. 1841 – U.S. President John Tyler is sworn in, two days after having become president upon William Henry Harrison's death. 1860 – The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois. 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins: In Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston. 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Sailor's Creek: Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fights and loses its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia, during the Appomattox Campaign. 1866 – The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956. 1896 – In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games is celebrated, 1,500 years after the original games are banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I. 1909 – Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first people to reach the North Pole; Peary's claim has been disputed because of failings in his navigational ability. 1911 – During the Battle of Deçiq, Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after George Kastrioti (Skanderbeg). 1917 – World War I: The United States declares war on Germany. 1918 – Finnish Civil War: The battle of Tampere ends. 1926 – Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight (Varney is the root company of United Airlines). 1929 – Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana, is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives. 1930 – At the end of the Salt March, Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203.

[cavenewstimes]

Kirtland and Nauvoo: What happens next week, when tours begin under new LDS management?

(RNS) — Many people were stunned by the news earlier this month that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had purchased several key historic buildings in Ohio and Nauvoo, Illinois, from Community of Christ, the second-largest Latter-day Saints denomination, which was, until 2001, called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Chief among these properties was the…

[destinyimage]

Prophetic Cults: 6 Signs You Are Being Deceived

When cults are exposed, they make major news headlines.

Some ministries or churches accused of cult status are truly cultish, and others are not. But the flood of “Christian” cult activity should urge you to sharpen your cult identification skills. Most Christian cult followers had no idea what they were getting into until they were already brainwashed adherents to warped religions. Some escaped to tell their stories. Others died in their deception.

ABC’s 20/20 exposed the shocking truth about life inside Warren Jeffs’ Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints Church. The cult leader was convicted and jailed for sexual abuse of young girls. He’s known for ordering married couples to stop having sex and handpicked fifteen men to father all the church’s children. That’s clearly a cult. Yet his eight thousand followers continue to believe he’s a persecuted prophet.

ABC 7 reported on the Scientology controversy in Washington, DC. L. Ron Hubbard’s creation theory highlights a despot named Xenu sending surplus beings to volcanoes on earth. Scientology officials deny cult status, but this is clearly a cult. And Ontario officials investigated allegations of abuse and polygamy under the leadership of a “prophet” named Fred King from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Fox also sent undercover reporters to investigate the Church of the Endtimes and its cultish qualities. The list goes on.

Those are just a few of the “cult” headlines in recent years. You can find others by searching “cult church” on Google News. But the question is, would you recognize a Christian cult if you were in one? Would you know you’d joined a cult before you were effectively brainwashed? How can you discern a Christian cult?

Discerning Prophetic Cults

A wise prophet once said people are destroyed because they lack knowledge (see Hos. 4:6). One of the first steps to deliverance from prophetic cults is arming yourself with the knowledge that helps you discern prophetic cults. If you are in a prophetic cult now, chances are you have a feeling something is wrong but you don’t have anyone to talk to about what you are experiencing. That’s because, chances are, most of your friends or family are also deceived.

Remember, false prophets work in the realm of lies because they are serving the father of lies. But you are serving the Father of Lights, the Spirit of Truth, and His truth will set you completely free when you embrace it completely (see John 8:32). Decide to be a lover of the truth even if it means admitting you are deceived (see 2 Thess. 2:10). Once you break free, you can help others break free from prophetic cults.

Let’s start by defining a cult. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines cult as “a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious; great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement or work; a system of religious beliefs and ritual.” Basically, a prophetic cult is on the fringes of Christianity with strange doctrine that doesn’t line up with Scripture. Typically, cults are driven by a key figure or personality, such as Jim Jones at Jonestown or David Koresh in Waco, Texas.

While Scripture doesn’t specifically mention prophetic cults, there are many warnings about cult-like figures such as false teachers and false prophets. Paul wrote:

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears (Acts 20:29-31).

Paul was careful not to allow believers to drag him into the cult of personality. He once told the church at Corinth:

For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:3-6).

Prophetic Cults Don’t Want You to Think

Prophetic cults have a culture of blind loyalty. Cults propagate thought control. They don’t want you to think for yourself or ask questions. This is dangerous. Proverbs tells us, “Only simpletons believe everything they’re told!” (Prov. 14:15 NLT). If you can’t find something in your Bible, you should question it. If you can’t have a healthy discussion with your leader about doctrine, there’s a problem.

Deception arises when critical thinking skills are shut down. Paul admonishes us to test all things and hold on to what is good (see 1 Thess. 5:21). He also tells us to detest what is evil and cling to what is good (see Rom. 12:9). Of course, John the apostle said, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). All this requires critical thinking and spiritual discernment, which prophetic cults subtly discourage.

Prophetic cults want to shape how you think about other preachers, teachers, prophets, networks, and ministries. They put out reputation hits on those they see as threats. Leaders of these prophetic cults spread rumors and breathe lies against those who see them for who they really are, hoping you will blindly believe them. We need to be good Bereans and search the Scriptures daily to see if what we’re being told is true (see Acts 17:11). People are indeed destroyed for lack of Bible knowledge (see Hos. 4:6).

Prophetic Cults Emphasize Blind Loyalty

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I’ll always remember sitting around a table in an apostle’s office with five other staff members. The church was seeing a shaking. Many people were leaving. They had discerned what we had not yet discerned: the church was essentially a prophetic cult. The apostle’s wife suddenly announced we were making a lifelong covenant with the apostle, never to leave and always to defend. That meant blind loyalty. I wasn’t comfortable when it happened. And most of us who sat around that table finally woke up and left.

Prophetic cults at the extreme will demand you are more loyal to them than to Jesus Himself. I call that toxic loyalty. Scripture says we walk by faith and not by sight, but that doesn’t mean we’re blind to what defies the Word. Toxic loyalty looks for ways to justify unjustifiable actions. Toxic loyalty causes people to continue to stand by and stand up for people who use and abuse them. Toxic loyalty influences people to give the offender one more chance again and again. Toxic loyalty draws people back into prophetic cults after they’ve escaped.

Prophetic cult leaders weaponize Scriptures about loyalty, such as Proverbs 21:21 (NASB), “One who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness, and honor.” They point to Ruth and Naomi or Moses and Joshua or David and Jonathan as examples of faithfulness, but our faithfulness must be to Jesus first. While loyalty is a godly trait, blind loyalty can be the snare of witchcraft. Oswald Chambers once said, “Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ.” Wise words. We are supposed to hold fast to Jesus (see Col. 2:19).

Prophetic Cults Move in False Revelation

Prophetic cults thrive on secret knowledge and special revelations. That’s not surprising, given the definition of occult. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, occult means “to shut off from view or exposure: secret; not easily apprehended or understood; mysterious; matters regarded as involving the action or influence of supernatural or supernormal powers or some secret knowledge of them.”

Look at Jim Jones, David Koresh, or Marshall Applewhite. They all claimed special revelations that completely contradicted Scripture. While we value the prophetic and supernatural encounters with God, too much focus on these without the truth as an anchor can lead us into deceptive waters.

Prophetic Cults Move in Spiritual Error

Prophetic cults form around error. Of course, prophetic cults aren’t always as dramatic as Jonestown. The problem is, spiritual error sounds good and right to the hungry heart that isn’t rooted and grounded in the Word. One example—and this one is purposely far out to make a point—is an overemphasis on strange manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I’m not against unusual manifestations, but when we emphasize the manifestations over Jesus we get in trouble. And sometimes the manifestations are anything but holy.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am all for experiencing the authentic power of God. I am all for valid manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit. I love to witness signs, wonders, and miracles. I expect to see more of that in the days ahead. But I am concerned that some are ill-equipped to discern the difference between the Spirit of God and strange fire.

I’ve been to prayer meetings where a woman’s eyes were rolling into the back of her head and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly as if she was under demonic control. (Are you going to tell me that the Holy Spirit rolls your eyes in the back of your head when you pray in the Spirit?) During service I saw that same woman up on the platform singing, then she abruptly stopped worshiping to prophesy utter nonsense for 10 minutes. The pastor did nothing.

I’ve seen people “toking” imaginary marijuana cigarettes and passing it down the line as if the Holy Ghost is some sort of drug. Again the pastor did nothing. People meow like cats, grown men lay on the floor in a sweaty huddle for hours, either unconscious or in some sort of funky haze, and teenagers twitch and shake uncontrollably as if having a seizure. I am aware of the Quakers, but this is far beyond that.

Again, I’m all for genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit and I’ve participated in plenty of them. But I never read about Abel’s eyes rolling in the back of his head when he brought his offering to God. There isn’t anything in the Bible about Enoch’s eyes fluttering rapidly and uncontrollably as he was raptured. Noah wasn’t passing imaginary joints to his family in the ark. Abraham didn’t have pile- ups with the 318 men trained in his own house. The Bible doesn’t record Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph meowing like cats (or even barking like dogs or hissing like snakes). Moses didn’t shake and twitch uncontrollably for an hour as if having epileptic seizure when he saw the glory of God.

If these heroes of faith didn’t record such strange manifestations of the Spirit of God, how can we be so quick to say it’s the Spirit of God? Can we automatically endorse hissing, writhing, and barking just because John said many things Jesus did weren’t recorded in the Bible? Shouldn’t we test the spirits, like the Bible says?

At the end of the day, I look at Jesus. You don’t get any fuller of the Holy Spirit than Jesus. And I never saw my Jesus rolling around on the ground pretending to smoke imaginary weed or rolling His eyes in the back of His head or making animal noises. I haven’t seen one record of Spirit-filled saints acting that way in the Bible. You would think if such mad manifestations were genuinely of the Holy Spirit and fell on those who were desperately seeking God’s face, we would see them recorded in the Book of Acts. Yes, we see strange miracles, but that didn’t include hissing, barking, writhing, etc.

I believe an unbalanced pursuit of supernatural experiences opens the door to demon-inspired encounters and emotions that validate a person’s erroneous theology. Some in the prophetic movement claim to hold regular conversations with angels, which become the source of their prophecies and sermons. Yes, angels are prophetic messengers, but most often the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into all truth Himself. And our sermons should be based on the Word of God—and our prophecies from the Spirit of God—not mystical revelation that doesn’t line up with the Bible.

Chasing the supernatural above the God of the supernatural is not the only example of emotionalism gone amuck. The prosperity gospel can also get out of balance. I’ve read about merchandising evangelists leading people into financial devastation after a so-called supernatural promise that gave them false faith to believe their debt would be canceled in thirty days. Yes, I believe in supernatural debt cancellation, but there is an abuse of these truths and it can become a profitable gimmick. People fall for it because they are in their emotions rather than in the Word of God. They tap into the hype and the shyster taps into their pocketbooks.

Prophetic Cults Isolate You From Others

When I was part of the cultish church I mentioned, I had to ask permission to go home for Christmas. A friend of mine had to ask permission to get married. Prophetic cults work to isolate you—cutting you off from family and friends who might discern what is really going on.

You may have heard of controlling churches with an approved reading list or a blacklist. The leaders are working to control what you read. It’s one thing to try to protect your church or network by warning them of materials that contain error. It’s another thing altogether to keep them from healthy content or ministries that will fuel their spiritual life. Proverbs 18:1 tells us when we isolate ourselves we rage against sound wisdom.

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[xena-wolfgang]

Episode 4 of Under The Banner Of Heaven:

Emma Smith

I always thought it was weird that they talked about Emma a lot when discussing the earliest days of the church, but you hear less and less about her as they move west, and her story kind of stops after her great grand story about her complaining about having to clean up from the men after they’d been smoking and chewing tobacco and drinking which lead to the great Word Of Wisdom “revelation” (and man did I see straight through that as soon as I heard that story), and then that’s it. I always wondered why we didn’t hear about what Emma had to say when the men were debating about who should lead, which of course gave us the great myth of Brigham turning into Joseph. As I got older and started to see the sexism in the church I figured it was just because she was a woman, and Joseph had died and so she wasn’t relevant to the story anymore, but it still bothered me. It wasn’t until I actually left the church completely that I learned that she had denounced Brigham and her and the rest of the Smith’s left and formed their own Mormon sect (which is still around as the Reorganized Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, or RLDS). I think that’s very telling as to what actually happened and the pieces missing from the official story become a little clearer. If I had been taught this as a child in Sunday school it would have been a giant weight on my young shelf.

Personal note: I want to say as a child I never really questioned the story of the restoration because even though it was fantastical I was raised in a world that told me Santa and the Easter bunny were real, and that Jesus turned water into wine and raised the dead and Noah lived to be 600 years old and built an ark and Moses turned the rivers of Egypt into blood and Lot’s wife was turned into salt, and Jews traveled from the holy land to the americas, and that the dark wicked men could be made clean and white and holy through repentance (it was like a slap in the face hearing that ranger call the detective Lamanite, it’s so fucking racist and it’s been so long since I’ve heard it used against someone), and millions of people died in a great battle in ancient upper-state New York. Joseph Smith talking to god and angels and translating these ancient texts was not that much of a stretch. My questioning was always scriptural, how did Noah get all the animals?; how did the brother of Jared survive that crossing it doesn’t make sense; how could eve have known it was wrong to eat from the tree of knowledge when she didn’t understand the difference between right and wrong until she ate of the fruit?; why was Lucifer’s plan the bad one, wouldn’t it be better if every got to go to heaven? Isn’t that the point? We wouldn’t know the difference?; or it was doctrinal, why is the word of wisdom so important? Does it really matter if someone drinks a cup of coffee every morning? (side note, as a kid I loved coffee and loved it when my paternal grandma stayed with us cause I always got at least one small cup during her stay, and I sometimes got one when we went to the diner, but only if I had other wise been good); what is the purpose of doing baptisms for the dead? How do the dead people know it’s been done? Are there missionaries in heaven with a list? Do they just magically know? is there a time frame for them to decide? Can they change their minds? How are people who are cremated restored at the resurrection if we need our bodies preserved for the resurrection? Why do I have to wear dresses to church but not church activities?

[brothermouse]

I’m not annon, but I might be a little bit qualified to answer this. I’m a practicing member of the LDS Church and I’m interested in Church history.

Quick Church History lesson: There are two major points in church history were schisms have occurred. The first is the Secession Crisis, the second is the Manifesto.

The Secession Crisis occurred in the aftermath of the death of Church founder Joseph Smith. At the time of his death, Smith had been practicing and teaching some kind of polygamy, but it’s unclear how it worked. He was sealed (a sort of spiritual marriage) to multiple women, but only fathered children with his wife Emma. So sex may not have been a huge aspect of the sealings? One break off group, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now known as the Community of Christ) denounced polygamy altogether and would later appoint Joseph’s son as their leader.

The larger group however, followed Brigham Young, who would lead them to the Utah territory. This is the LDS Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Young tried to make more sense of polygamy and set up a more concrete structure for it. From around the 1850s to 1890 Church members and leaders worked to find a workable model of polygamy. One point that made it functional was not making it mandatory, which avoided the male child abandonment issue mentioned above. Also, things like divorce favored women. Anecdotally a woman in a polygamist marriages could divorce her husband for practically any reason she wanted. At it’s height only between 20 to 30 percent of members were in polygamist families.

In 1890 Church President Wilford Woodfuff issued a Manifesto officially terminating the practice of polygamy. That manifesto has since been canonized in the Doctrine and Covenants (A collection of revelations from Church leaders-mostly Joseph Smith). You can read it here, he gives the reasons for the change. It ended new polygamist marriages, but tacitly allowed pre existing marriages to continue.

Some members disregarded the manifesto and entered into new polygamist marriages in secret, leading to a second manifesto in 1904 by Church President Joseph F. Smith (remember the "F", he's a relative Joseph Smith). The Second Manifesto had much stronger wording and set the church policy of excommunicating those who officiated or entered into polygamous marriages. This is where the Fundamentalists broke away, believing that Church leadership had gone astray in stopping polygamy.

So now the FLDS church continued to practice polygamy, they set up their own leadership and priesthood and try to avoid the notice of federal law enforcement. In the meantime the LDS worked to rehabilitate their image through outreach and missionary work (when you think of Mormon Missionaries, you’re almost certainly thinking of LDS).

Because the FLDS made polygamy their whole jam, it led to a lot of problems. I may be wrong here but I believe that participation in polygamy is essential or at least highly important in salvation, according to their doctrine. That means that having only 20-30 percent practicing it is rookie numbers. Everyone has to participate. Then you have too many boys, not enough girls, you know the problems.

These different attitudes made the main differences in how LDS and FLDS would develop into the modern day. LDS has over 17.2 million members with 6.8 million of those in the US. FLDS on the other hand are mainly concentrated in small isolated communities and have at most an estimated 10k members.

So that’s the history lesson, let’s look at your questions:

In the Mormon world, what defines a Fundamentalist? Polygamy mostly. Within the Mormon world, polygamist and fundamentalist are practically interchangeable words.

Are there changes in LDS doctrine and practice that have been made that have divided the two, or is it more related to differences in interpretations? As I pointed out earlier, the LDS church denouncing polygamy was the main issue. But there are also differences in interpretations, such as how both believe Church hierarchy should work, the purpose of polygamy, etc.

And are these differences perceived as schismatic or otherwise a source of conflict between FLDS and LDS community members? In my experience, from an LDS perspective, we don’t really feel much in common with the FLDS. The cultural and theological gap between us is huge. I feel like I have more in common with that Community of Christ than the FLDS. They don’t want anything to do with us and we’re not to keen on associating with them.

I think annon is a little off when they say that the LDS turns a blind eye to FLDS practices. First, the fact is the FLDS are very closed off. They have decades of practice in operating without notice. Second, even if we did notice, there’s not much we can do besides report it to the authorities. We don’t control the cops, so we can’t force an investigation. They’re a completely different organization, so we can’t excommunicate or disfellowship them.

Ultimately I think it’s important for non Mormons to keep in mind that there are over 17,000,000 LDS members and less than 10,000 FLDS members. The FLDS are a lot easier to sensationalize so you see a disproportionate amount of chatter about them.

That said, I saw the original post op added to and, hoo boy. I feel like a little critical thinking could have helped you recognize hate speech and propaganda. At the very least a check with Wikipedia could have cleared most of this up. Next time, before you reblog something that called an entire group of people evil hate mongering monsters, maybe ask yourself, which is more likely: There’s a huge group of people out there who are literally Satan incarnate, or a stranger on the internet is trying to make you mad/scared enough to engage with their post so they can get more fake internet points?

Hey you're mostly correct with your addition to the mormon post, I just want to point out that male child abandonment is specific to fundamentalist LDS members. The mainstream church doesn't do that, they just turn a blind eye when the FLDS do.

Thanks for the clarification, anon. Assuming you see that I replied, or that someone with more precise knowledge on the subject sees this, do you think you could send another anon/reblog this expanding on the differences between the FLDS and the LDS? In the Mormon world, what defines a Fundamentalist? Are there changes in LDS doctrine and practice that have been made that have divided the two, or is it more related to differences in interpretations? And are these differences perceived as schismatic or otherwise a source of conflict between FLDS and LDS community members?

None of my questions above are rhetorical or sarcastic. I am sincerely inviting you, or someone as knowledgeable or more, to expand on the subject so interested readers can learn more about the realities of the FLDS and LDS communities outside of what news outlets discuss and commonly confuse and conflate. On my part, pretty much every non-LDS or FLDS member I've met (meaning most people I've met in general) has never heard reliable, clear explanations about where the two denominations separate or why.

[onedayillbeasaint]

I’ve been thinking about the girl I met in my English class and how I would answer her if she asked my denomination or asked what the Church believes. I eventually got to thinking about our beliefs about Christ and who He is, and I came to this regarding the Great Apostasy:

The Church is Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christian, if not more Christian than other churches. Our belief in the Great Apostasy and the belief that only Christ holds the keys to His Church and the power in His Church, demonstrates our belief in Christ, His mission, His Atonement, His power, His strength, His wisdom, and His love.

God’s power (the Priesthood) was lost from the Earth after the death of Christ and the Twelve Apostles. The reorganization of the church during the Great Schism, the Protestant Reformation, and further religious movements such as the Great Awakening, led to the Restoration of the Church and the Priesthood to the Earth. Heavenly Father did this working through and with Christ and the Holy Ghost. This is their Church. They hold the power. And they want us to be part of their organization and experience all the blessings that it enables us to receive. We are Christian because we are Christ’s Church - the Church of Jesus Christ.

[not-so-superheroine]

My article on Doctrine and Covenants 116 (RLDS), why it should remain as scripture...

(...and white paternalism in the church.)

I never posted this here because I don't know any Community of Christ saints on tumblr (shout out to tumblrstake saints for letting me hang out with them) Please read if interested in RLDS/CofC D&C scriptures and how we can do wild things like remove scripture via common consent. Or if you are interested in an issue that affects/affected Black Saints in Community of Christ. Esp in the United States church w/ Black american Saints.

TL;DR at the bottom

I wrote an article on Doctrine and Covenants section 116 and published it on medium. I also sent some copies out to church friends in historical societies. This was winter/spring 2023. (i later found out it made it's way to the First Presidency bc the Counselor to the President reached out about it. ) D&C 116, in part, pertains to the ordination of men of color, with a heavy focus on Black men. The revelation the Prophet Joseph Smith III received from God is that it is God's will that men of all races be ordained. It was adopted into the Doctrine and Covenants in 1865. It also has less savory parts that were used to justify segregation. When I asked those who wanted it out felt that it could lead people away/astray. They focus in on their, not unbased, conclusion that the revelation stated segregation is God's will, and therefore is false. All of the person's who spoke against it in my life were white reorganized saints. I decided to ask my Black brothers and sisters in Community of Christ. Many who experienced the church during the era of segregation. And, as I had a suspicion, none of them/us wanted it removed and were against the measure. Some felt it wasn't appropiate to weigh in due to position. Some didn't like it but didn't want to lead a charge on it. Some were quite vocal and gave presentations to the unofficial latter day saint groups. Some heard of my work (a newbie convert. pre-baptism for part of it. that's while I'm still shocked), and tracked me down, to talk about the matter. Generations of Black reorganized saints who all, for different yet overlapping reasons, wanted it to remain. Many let me listen to them and publish quotes. In the united states, Community of Christ is majority white. I think this is the case for most Latter Day Saint churches. It is quite possible that the stake/mission center that presented this resolution to the Conference didn't have Black members involved. I hazard that this is the case. Coming mostly from a good place but also unintentionally condescending or harmful. So I had to do something about it. obviously.

I went to an Apostle's presentation on Prophet-President JSIII and D&C 116 and was like "can I help you with more work on this topic?" and he was like "no, but i can help you?" he gave me his short powerpoint presentation, recommended me a few books, and I got to work. https://medium.com/@wednesdayrjones/doctrine-and-covenants-116-is-significant-scripture-and-scripture-is-what-it-should-remain-11bbcee561c3 My personal experience with the section when I first read it was evidence of the prophetic nature of the church. I was happy to see D&C 116 because it was a step in the right direction. A big one. Similar verbiage can be found in the revelation on Women in the Priesthood. God tells us, and we acknowledge in the Doctrine and and Covenants, that the misuse of scripture too often harms marginalized people and the Church is called to repent of such practices. that's continuing revelation, sis/bro/sib

The 1st Prophet of the Reorganization, Joseph Smith III, earned my respect in part by engaging with him through this text. And those early Black saints, whose' testimonies' i read and hold dearly, certainly have my respect and my adoration. i hope to embody the hope for Zion and activeness in bringing God's kingdom forth that they had.

we (me and other Black saints involved and our allies) were successful btw. the resolution went up to the first presidency for them to decide, as it wasn't decided on at the World Conference by common consent due to time restraints (I did have a few delegates promise to read parts of my article during their time in the discussion period). The First Presidency made no moves to remove it and i am glad to have had a part in that.

TL;DR here is an article i wrote about Doctrine and Covenants 116 - Race in the Priesthood in Community of Chirst/RLDS. It was up for removal and now it's not. Much due to the work of Black saints, including myself, those I interviewed, and others I was blessed to interact with. let me know what you think or if you have any questions about it or Prophet-President Joseph Smith III or his politics on race and abolition as well has his father's (from his presidential platform. Prophet-President Joseph Smith Jr. The 1st prophet of the Restoration.), or books recommendations or my beliefs surrounding this scripture, the Doctrine and Covenants as a whole, modern day prophets and prophecy and Continuing revelation etc. Or for my fellow saints, this sounds similar or bizzare? and do you have any questions about things like World Conference or how common consent is used within CofC? Any comments regarding OD2 and similarities / differences? I love to talk about history, esp where it ties with my faith. and it brings to mind, what does it mean for scripture to be Inspired.

or let me know if this inspires you to take on a sort of project, church or otherwise. Learning the D&C in depth requires knowledge of the the state of the church and historical context in which the prophet is seeking answers for is so fascinating.

[rabbitcruiser]

Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, was organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York on April 6, 1830.

The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois on April 6, 1860.

The  Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated by Wilford Woodruff on April 6, 1893.  

Church of Latter-day Saints Day              

It was on April 6, 1830, in Fayette, New York, that a small  group led by Joseph Smith organized the “Church of Christ,” the first  church of what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day  Saints (LDS). The anniversary date of April 6 has become known as Church  of Latter-day Saints Day.

Joseph Smith claimed that an angel named Moroni visited him in a  vision in 1823 and told him about a Hebrew text that had been lost for  1,500 years. The text recounted the story of Israelites who had lived in  the Americas during the time before Christ and had prophets similar to  those in the Old Testament. Smith said he was told the text had been  engraved on gold plates in the fourth century by a Native American  historian, and that the plates were buried in a nearby hill. He said he  excavated them four years later after Moroni told him where they were.  Smith translated the text into English and it was published as The Book of Mormon  in 1830, the same year he organized the church. On account of this  book, members of the church are often called Mormons, although the  church discourages the use of the term.

The church taught there would be a Second Coming of Christ which  would be followed by a “1,000-year reign of peace.” Because of this,  Smith wanted to establish a “Zion,” or kingdom of God, in the western  United States. Mormon communities were set up in Ohio, Illinois, and  Missouri, with the latter being chosen as the location for Zion. In  1839, Smith founded the city of Nauvoo in Illinois. The group there  faced hostility from non-Mormons, and after Smith pushed back against  dissidents within the church, the hostility and resentment from  non-Mormons heightened even more, and Smith was arrested. Smith and his  brother were murdered in a jail cell by an anti-Mormon mob in nearby  Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844.

Smith’s successor as church president, Brigham Young, set out from  Nauvoo and headed west with a group of 148 Mormons in 1846. They arrived  in Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah in July 1847. Young said, “this  is the place,” and the group settled. Young sent missionaries across  North America and Europe, and new members were encouraged to move to  Utah.

The settlement applied for statehood in 1849 and was denied, but  Young was made governor of the new Territory of Utah. Further efforts to  gain statehood in the 1850s went nowhere once it became publicly known  that Mormons practiced polygamy and that they wished to form a  theocratic government. Then, the Mountain Meadows Massacre took place,  during which Mormons killed members of a wagon train. In response, the  military arrived and a non-Mormon governor was put in charge of the  territory.

Young died in 1877 and church leadership was taken over by John  Taylor, and then by Wilford Woodruff. In 1890, during Woodruff’s  presidency, the church announced it was banning polygamy in the United  States, in order to follow the country’s law. (Polygamy was still  allowed outside of the United States and it continued in locations like  Mexico.) Utah was admitted as a state in 1896.

Today there are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day  Saints all around the world. In the early twenty-first century, church  membership was at about 16 million. The church is still headquartered in  Salt Lake City, Utah, and more members reside in the United States than  in any other country. Over 150 groups have sprouted off of the LDS for  various doctrinal and political reasons. The biggest is the Community of  Christ, which was known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of  the Latter-day Saints until 2001. It is headquartered in Independence,  Missouri, the location that Smith had designated as Zion.

The Book of Mormon and the King James Version of the Bible  are the two most important texts in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other important texts are Pearl of Great Price and Doctrines and Covenants.  The church teaches of a “Godhead” of three beings: Father, Son, and  Holy Ghost. But unlike Christians, who see them as part of the Trinity,  they teach that they are separate entities.

Like Christianity, they teach that Jesus Christ came to Earth to die  for everyone’s sins and that he rose from the dead, but they also teach  that people’s own actions have an effect on their future. They teach  that faithful members will become gods themselves and that Christ will  return and rule on Earth for 1,000 years. After this, the Earth will  become a celestial sphere and the highest kingdom of heaven, where the  righteous will live. Others will live in lesser kingdoms known as  "terrestrial" and “telestial.”

Source

[fraterzimriah]

Open Discussion: The Importance of Mary in the Church vs. The Bible - Jesus’ Hidden Teaching to Open the Seventh Chakra?

Whatever side of Christianity you are on, Catholic (Eastern or Western) or Protestant, please speak your mind. 

I was raised Reorganized Latter-Day Saint (Community of Christ) by my mother and in the church we really gave no reverence to Mary except around Christmas and even then not much was said about her. I never asked the Elders of my mother’s church why we didn’t pray to the Virgin Mary, but asked my uncle about it who was the pastor at the time. He gave the reason that she was only human tasked to fulfill God’s work, “it would be like praying to Abraham.” 

I did my own studying and read literature on esoteric Christianity and found Jesus was not really fond of his mother (or family for that matter). Here are some verses that reveal this: Luke 14:26,  John 2:4, and John 19:26. Personally, I feel that Jesus acted this way as part of his esoteric teachings He shared between Him and His elect. 

In Revelations John says,  “then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.” I believe John saw the seven chakras of Jesus’ light body. As most know the Crown Chakra ( the seventh chakra) is opened once one becomes less attached to the Earthly world and becomes more attached or open to the spiritual realm. So Christ being more harsh to his mother was the way he detached what bound him to Earth. 

I can see why, in this manner, churches would elect to not give her reverence. She was just an individual who does play an important role in Jesus’ birth and His teachings but not a being to be prayed to be worshipped. With that said I do use her and other saints in my magical workings but I don’t really pray to them. 

What do you y’all think? 

[brookstonalmanac]

Event 4.6

46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus. 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia. 1320 – The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath. 1453 – Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople. The city falls on May 29, and is renamed Istanbul. 1580 – One of the largest earthquakes recorded in the history of England, Flanders, or Northern France, takes place. 1652 – At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town. 1712 – The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins near Broadway. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy fail in their attempt to capture a Royal Navy dispatch boat. 1782 – King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) of Siam (modern day Thailand) establishes the Chakri dynasty. 1793 – During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic. 1800 – The Treaty of Constantinople establishes the Septinsular Republic, the first autonomous Greek state since the Fall of the Byzantine Empire. (Under the Old Style calendar then still in use in the Ottoman Empire, the treaty was signed on 21 March.) 1808 – John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America's first millionaire. 1812 – British forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington assault the fortress of Badajoz. This would be the turning point in the Peninsular War against Napoleon-led France. 1814 – Nominal beginning of the Bourbon Restoration; anniversary date that Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba. 1830 – Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, is organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York. 1841 – U.S. President John Tyler is sworn in, two days after having become president upon William Henry Harrison's death. 1860 – The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois. 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins: In Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston. 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Sailor's Creek: Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fights and loses its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia, during the Appomattox Campaign. 1866 – The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956. 1896 – In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games is celebrated, 1,500 years after the original games are banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I. 1909 – Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first people to reach the North Pole; Peary's claim has been disputed because of failings in his navigational ability. 1911 – During the Battle of Deçiq, Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after George Kastrioti (Skanderbeg). 1917 – World War I: The United States declares war on Germany. 1918 – Finnish Civil War: The battle of Tampere ends. 1926 – Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight (Varney is the root company of United Airlines). 1929 – Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana, is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives. 1930 – At the end of the Salt March, Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203. 1941 – World War II: Nazi Germany launches Operation 25 (the invasion of Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and Operation Marita (the invasion of Greece). 1945 – World War II: Sarajevo is liberated from German and Croatian forces by the Yugoslav Partisans. 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Slater's Knoll on Bougainville comes to an end. 1947 – The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievement. 1957 – The flag carrier airline of Greece for decades, Olympic Airways, is founded by Aristotle Onassis following the acquisition of "TAE - Greek National Airlines". 1958 – Capital Airlines Flight 67 crashes into Saginaw Bay near Freeland, Michigan, killing 47. 1965 – Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit. 1968 – In the downtown district of Richmond, Indiana, a double explosion kills 41 and injures 150. 1968 – Pierre Elliott Trudeau wins the Liberal Party leadership election, and becomes Prime Minister of Canada soon afterward. 1970 – Newhall massacre: Four California Highway Patrol officers are killed in a shootout. 1972 – Vietnam War: Easter Offensive: American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments. 1973 – Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft. 1973 – The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter. 1984 – Members of Cameroon's Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya. 1985 – Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by Field Marshal Abdel Rahman Swar al-Dahab. 1992 – The Bosnian War begins. 1994 – The Rwandan genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down. 1997 – In Greene County, Tennessee, the Lillelid murders occur. 1998 – Nuclear weapons testing: Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India. 2004 – Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment. 2005 – Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day. 2008 – The 2008 Egyptian general strike starts led by Egyptian workers later to be adopted by April 6 Youth Movement and Egyptian activists. 2009 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing 307. 2010 – Maoist rebels kill 76 CRPF officers in Dantewada district, India. 2011 – In San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, over 193 victims of Los Zetas were exhumed from several mass graves. 2012 – Azawad declares itself independent from the Republic of Mali. 2017 – U.S. military launches 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at an air base in Syria. Russia describes the strikes as an "aggression", adding they significantly damage US-Russia ties. 2018 – A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team collides with a semi-truck in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.

[diogenescynic2288]

#and that's how ''anomalous-heretic'' ended up being more or less pretty accurate

I will disclose one more fact about myself. In my day to day life in the under twenty part of growing up, I had a mom and a step-dad that I lived with. They were Christians and were trying to bring me and my half-brother up Christian. Their denomination of Christianity is now called Community of Christ. It used to be called Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Reorganized is important. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the LDS, the Mormons, the guys whose major population center is in Utah.

Basically there was a split after Joseph Smith, Jr. the alleged prophet and definite founder was killed. One group said the gift of prophecy and the church leadership passed to Brigham Young and they went to Utah.

Another group said that the next leader was the son of Joseph Smith, Jr., who I think was a Joseph Smith III, but I don't remember off the top of my head. That became the RLDS.

There's also a third faction that followed a guy named Strang to an island in Lake Michigan called Beaver Island, and he tried to declare himself an immortal god-king or something, but since he died, I think due to violence committed on him, that kind of fizzled out. Although I think there may still be a tiny number of faithful Strang-ite Mormons around today.

So, um, yes if you've been brought up a Christian, probably somebody says you've been brought up a heretic.

[christianandnerdy]

The alphabet army has taken down another pro-marriage community stronghold, will this decision push members to abandon the the LDS Church and join “the Community of Christ?” (the second biggest LDS denomination) that was known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) founded by joseph Smith the 3rd #Repost @endtimeheadline ・・・ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has just announced that it would back proposed federal legislation to safeguard same-sex marriages! #daysoflot #samesexmarriage #endtimes #mormons #churchoflatterdaysaints 🚩 Check out the entire story by clicking the link above found in the “Latest News” section #ldsnews #thecommunityofchrist #ReorganizedChurchofJesusChristofLatterDaySaints https://www.instagram.com/p/ClEfZEBPVKr/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=